Largo football coach Rodriguez resigns

One of Pinellas County’s longest tenured high school football coaches will be calling it a career and ending one of the most successful eras at one school.

Rick Rodriguez has resigned for personal reasons as head coach at Largo High School, Rodriguez said Thursday.

“I just knew it was time,” Rodriguez said. “Time to bring in someone young to run the program. Telling my staff was very tough. They knew it was time.”

The longtime Largo coach compiled a record of 123-40. Rodriguez just completed his 15th season at the helm, with the Packers finishing at 8-3 and ending the 2013 season with a tough 25-17 loss to Jefferson in the Class 6A playoffs.

Rodriguez’s announcement comes on the heels of one of his assistants, Jeremy Frioud, taking the head coaching job at Northeast earlier in the week. Some of the assistants at Largo might be joining Frioud at Northeast, Rodriguez said.

Before landing at Largo in 2000, Rodriguez was the defensive coordinator at Clearwater High School.

Correspondent Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo